Health & Medicine
Watch Out for Ticks This Summer: Safety Check List
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Jul 08, 2013 11:21 AM EDT
Summer time is the best time to be outdoors, and whether it's at the beach, camping, throwing burgers on the grill or just enjoying an afternoon in the garden, it's important to take certain precautions that can prevent dangers from the heat, insects and other problems that come with environmental changes.
In particular, during the summer, the parasitic, spider-like pest known as a tick, is one to look out for. They camp out in wooded areas and catche onto animals to feed off their blood. Though a bite from a tick won't necessarily do much damage, it can cause a serious illness if the problem is not diagnosed early on.
These tiny insects are most commonly found in brushy, wooded or grassy areas, including backyards, and according to Live Strong, the transmission of tick-borne diseases occurs from an infected tick that his hit a human target, and can include bacteria, parasites or viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also adds that it's important to keep a record by region of all reported tick-borne disease, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Colorado tick fever and Babesiosis.
Of all the above mentioned, Lyme disease is the most common to be seen throughout the United States. According to the American Lyme Disease Foundation, "Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete (pronounced spy-ro-keet) that is carried by deer ticks. An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites. Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some of which are severe."
Health officials suggest that anyone who thinks they may have been bitten by a tick or suffering from the following symptoms seek medical attention immediately. For those with Lyme disease, immediate antibiotic treatment is recommended to prevent possible further complications.
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First Posted: Jul 08, 2013 11:21 AM EDT
Summer time is the best time to be outdoors, and whether it's at the beach, camping, throwing burgers on the grill or just enjoying an afternoon in the garden, it's important to take certain precautions that can prevent dangers from the heat, insects and other problems that come with environmental changes.
In particular, during the summer, the parasitic, spider-like pest known as a tick, is one to look out for. They camp out in wooded areas and catche onto animals to feed off their blood. Though a bite from a tick won't necessarily do much damage, it can cause a serious illness if the problem is not diagnosed early on.
These tiny insects are most commonly found in brushy, wooded or grassy areas, including backyards, and according to Live Strong, the transmission of tick-borne diseases occurs from an infected tick that his hit a human target, and can include bacteria, parasites or viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also adds that it's important to keep a record by region of all reported tick-borne disease, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Colorado tick fever and Babesiosis.
Of all the above mentioned, Lyme disease is the most common to be seen throughout the United States. According to the American Lyme Disease Foundation, "Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete (pronounced spy-ro-keet) that is carried by deer ticks. An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites. Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some of which are severe."
Health officials suggest that anyone who thinks they may have been bitten by a tick or suffering from the following symptoms seek medical attention immediately. For those with Lyme disease, immediate antibiotic treatment is recommended to prevent possible further complications.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone